Slushy and icy roads prompt Blount County school closures

Traffic winds slowly up a steep grade this morning on St. Clair County 9 between Springville and Oneonta. Heavy wet snow had accumulated up to 2 inches deep in Blount and St. Clair counties before 10 am. Snow began falling before dawn at higher elevations and will continue into the afternoon. (The Birmingham News / Joe Songer)
Snow was good news this morning for Blount County students but bad news for some drivers.

Snow accumulation in that county north of Birmingham ranged from a trace up to a few inches in some higher elevations.

The Blount County school system, which had been set to begin classes two hours late, went ahead and cancelled school for the day because of road conditions, said Max Armstrong, director of the Blount County Emergency Management Agency.

Some roads, particularly those northeast of Oneonta, had slush or patches of ice on them this morning, Armstrong said. One wreck that injured two people along Blount County Road 36 near Susan Moore may be blamed on icy road conditions, Armstrong said. A car went off an embankment, he said.

The first rescue workers responding to the crash warned other responders to be careful because of icy road conditions, Armstrong said.

About 9:30 a.m. Alabama State Troopers also reported that Tugalo Road, located between Oneonta and Snead, was impassable, Armstrong said. Alabama Department of Transportation workers also put out sand along a section of U.S. 231 south of Oneonta, he said.

Jefferson County, however, has seen no measurable snow accumulations or problems with icy roads, the Jefferson County EMA reports.